I finally got the full-size versions of the Youth Dew Hydrating Facial Serum and the Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate after trying out deluxe samples from May Lindstrom, which lasted a few weeks.
Scent & Texture
The Youth Dew Hydrating Facial Serum (Oil-serum / 20mL)
- Earthy mint scent
- Very runny and light, yet the finish of it is quite similar to kō Denmark Rosehip & Evening Primrose Face Serum
- It goes on very smooth and silky and absorbs relatively fast into skin compared to other oil serums on the market. Depending on the amount that you put on, it may or may not leave some oily residue.
Full Ingredients
*Persea Americana (Avocado) Oil, *Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, *Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Prunus Spp (Plum Kernel) Oil,*Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil,*Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, *Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip Seed) Oil, *Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Oil, *Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil, *Borago Officinalis (Borage Seed) Oil, Aleurites Moluccans (Kukui Nut) Oil, *Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, *Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium Rose) Essential Oil, *Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Essential Oil, *Citrus Sinensis (Sweet Orange) Essential Oil, *Citrus Limon (Lemon) Essential Oil, *Rosa Damascena (Rose Absolute) Essential Oil, *Rosa Damascena (Bulgarian Rose) Essential Oil, *Citrus Aurantium (Neroli) Essential Oil, ***Daucus Carota (Carrot Seed) Essential Oil, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10).
The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate (50mL)
- Creamy balm, which instantly melts into skin and absorbs beautifully.
- It has an oily/sticky finish, but you can reduce it by putting on less. In fact, it spreads so well that you don’t need much at all.
- I feel that The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate smells way more potent than their The Youth Dew Hydrating Facial Serum, but I see that some people might find it rather healing and therapeutic. Personally, I think it smells minty with some foresty woody scent, which is completely different from the aroma scent that most of us are used to. The scent lasts about an hour and I believe that the scent gets intensified in my case since I layer The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate on top of their The Youth Dew Hydrating Facial Serum. Regardless, The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate has a stronger scent, so if you are sensitive to the scent you might want to reconsider. I’m not used to this kind of scent, so I actually felt sick right after putting it on :/. So it took about 2 weeks for me to get used to it O_O.
Full Ingredients
*Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, ***Butyrospermun Parkii (Shea) Butter, ***Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, ***Sclerocarya Birrea (Virgin Marula) Oil, Calodendrum Capense (Yangu) Oil, *Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Oil, *Tanacetum Annuum (Blue Tansy) Oil, **Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Oil, *Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, **Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense) Oil, *Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium Rose) Oil, *Vanilla Planifolia CO2 Total Essential Oil, Schisandra Sphenanthera CO2 Fruit Extract, *Helichrysum Italicum (Immortelle) Oil, Ravensara Aromatica Oil.
Effectiveness & Usage
I like the fact that both The Youth Dew Hydrating Facial Serum and The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate are buildable depending on the finish that you prefer. They are also great for facial massage! My fingers just glide on beautifully… very healing indeed. Who wouldn’t love all that pampering session, hey! :P
They didn’t also irritate my eye and lip areas and they hydrated very well. However, The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate gave me some little bumps around my eye area initially - perhaps because of the scent? Or it was probably a bit too rich or active for my eye area. Regardless, the bumps were gone after about 4 days :).
I also experienced instant plumping action on my skin and long-lasting hydration. Upon waking up in the morning, my skin felt and looked very smooth and plumped.
Last tip! I’ve very much enjoyed using The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate as a rejuvenating mask although the instructions don’t say that I can use it as a mask :P. I basically used the same method that I did with Dr. Jart+ Oil Balm, so you can read more about it HERE
A Night After
By the way, if you like to use those during day time under make up, then I would suggest you to use one or the other, otherwise, just try to use as tiny amount as possible depending on how oily your skin tends to get during the day. Both The Youth Dew Hydrating Facial Serum and The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate are great for creating a dewy glow on your skin underneath foundation, but it doesn't hold make up very well as they are not made for the purpose, which is expected :P.
Verdict
Using or converting to a natural skin care regime can be quite tempting in general with regards to the promising results despite what they say on the packaging. Trust me, May Lindstrom is one of the few natural / organic skin care brands that I believe to deliver pretty noticeable results within a short period of time <3
I highly recommend The Youth Dew Hydrating Facial Serum and The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm Concentrate for those who need intense hydration (dry /dehydrated - very dry). Even by themselves, they are very quenching that your skin will feel comforted instantly. I felt that using them together is pretty much equivalent to the hydration power that Crème de La Mer and Dr. Jart+ Oil Balm provide, which makes them great for colder seasons.
Where to buy
- Nordstrom (Free shipping & samples)
- The Detox Market (Worldwide shipping & free samples)
Recommendations
- May Lindstrom The Good Stuff (Shimmering body & hair oil)
- African Botanics Pure Marula Oil (Cell Regenerating Face Oil)
- Tammy Fender Bulgarian Rose Water
- Kahina Giving Beauty Serum
- Atopalm Intensive Moisturizing Cream (Baby/Eczema/Sensitive Skin)
- Kahina Giving Beauty Prickly Pear Seed Oil (Dry/ Sensitive/ Eczema Skin)
